'Fight back,' implores student who sued teacher

Oct. 16, 2009

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

1 of 2

Capistrano Valley High School student Chad Farnan, 17, speaks at a campaign fundraiser for Shawn Black, a GOP candidate for the 70th Assembly District at Irvine Marriott Friday evening. Black's campaign sets Farnan as one of Orange County's leading conservative youths. CHERYL A. GUERRERO, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of 2

Capistrano Valley High School student Chad Farnan, 17, speaks at a campaign fundraiser for Shawn Black, a GOP candidate for the 70th Assembly District at Irvine Marriott Friday evening. Black's campaign sets Farnan as one of Orange County's leading conservative youths. CHERYL A. GUERRERO, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Capistrano Valley High School student Chad Farnan, 17, speaks at a campaign fundraiser for Shawn Black, a GOP candidate for the 70th Assembly District at Irvine Marriott Friday evening. Black's campaign sets Farnan as one of Orange County's leading conservative youths.CHERYL A. GUERRERO, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

IRVINE – Mission Viejo high school senior Chad Farnan, who successfully sued his former history teacher two years ago for disparaging Christians in class, implored Christians and conservatives to band together to fight for their rights at a GOP campaign fundraiser Friday night.

"Now is the time to fight back, so our rights as Christians and conservatives can be taken back," said Farnan, 17, a senior at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo.

Farnan, a Republican, delivered the short speech in front of an audience of about 200 people at the Irvine Marriott hotel during a campaign fundraiser for Shawn Black, a Republican candidate for the 70th Assembly District in Orange County.

Farnan said he has given about 10 such speeches since U.S. District Court Judge James Selna's high-profile May 1 ruling against James Corbett, his former Advanced Placement European history teacher.

Corbett was found to have violated the First Amendment's establishment clause when he referred to creationism as "religious, superstitious nonsense" during a fall 2007 classroom lecture.

"All these people support me, so I need to support them back and do fundraisers like this," Farnan said in an interview.

Farnan also is scheduled to speak Saturday night at the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, during a fundraising gala for Advocates for Faith & Freedom, the Murrieta-based Christian legal group that represented Farnan during his two-year legal battle.

Black's campaign has lauded Farnan as one of Orange County's leading conservative youths.

"We need to pray for him because he is under attack for his faith," said the fundraiser's master of ceremonies, Deborah Pauly, a Villa Park councilwoman.

While the judge sided with Farnan in the May ruling, he found Corbett not financially liable for his actions under a qualified immunity defense four months later. Farnan is appealing that decision.

Farnan did not seek monetary damages in his lawsuit, but he asked that his former European history teacher be fired or that the court issue an injunction barring Corbett from disparaging religion in class.

Selna ruled against issuing such an injunction; Corbett remains in his teaching position at Capistrano Valley High.

Corbett made his "superstitious nonsense" remark about creationism during a class discussion about a 1993 court case in which former Capistrano Valley High science teacher John Peloza sued the Capistrano Unified School District, challenging its requirement that Peloza teach evolution.

Corbett's attorney said the teacher was simply expressing his personal opinion that Peloza shouldn't have presented religious views to students. But Selna, after reviewing an audiotape of the discussion made by Farnan, decided Corbett crossed a legal line.

The legal battle began in December 2007, when Farnan, then a sophomore, sued Corbett and the school district, accusing his former teacher of repeatedly promoting hostility toward Christians in class and advocating "irreligion over religion" in violation of the First Amendment's establishment clause.

The establishment clause prohibits the government from making any law "respecting an establishment of religion" and has been interpreted by U.S. courts to also prohibit government employees from displaying religious hostility.

Selna threw out all of the quotes attributed to Corbett except the creationism comment, and that became the basis of the judge's high-profile May 1 decision against Corbett.

"It's important for Republicans like us to support organizations like Advocates for Faith & Freedom," Farnan said at the end of his speech Friday. "If we all stand together, we can change the world one step at a time."

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.